Do you ever gaze at a tall building in amazement and wonder over how it is that it stays upright? Engineers have created taller and taller buildings over the years. Burnaby and Vancouver have buildings just over 200 metres tall: 2 Gilmore place and Living Shanri-La. And, Toronto has buildings approaching 300 meters with The St. Regis and First Canadian Place. And the tallest structure we think of in Canada, of course, is the CN Tower which is just over 550 meters tall. Buildings keep getting taller, though. And the tallest building in the world is located in Dubai, the Burj Khalifa reaching the height of 828 meters. Aren’t you amazed at tall structures? The key to a building’s strength, of course, are the mechanisms that support it.
If we have ever witnessed the pre-construction of a building, we know that the building’s foundation is very, very, very deep! The ground in Dubai was an even larger challenge as the subsurface is composed of soft sand, silt and weak rock. So, massive piles measuring 1.5 meters in diameter were driven up to 50 meters further into the ground to create stability. Deep foundations are the key. Their foundations usually have a depth of about 20% of their visible height! What building engineers teach us in our theological pursuit this morning is that you can’t build lofty, stable structures that reach towards the heavens without first grounding them deeply and firmly!
This morning, we focus on the first of the three areas of our United Church’s Centennial Theme: “Deep Spirituality”. Over three weeks, we will take an opportunity to examine each of the three components that were adopted by the 43rd General Council in 2018: deep spirituality, bold discipleship, and daring justice. The purpose underlying the theme was to both reflect upon our historical roots of 100 years as well as looking towards the future. The thinking behind “deep spirituality” is that we cannot ‘Be’ the church that reaches towards the heavens, that seeks to do the work of Christ, that is a passionate in its witness in the community without first being grounded…without first being rooted…without first having a deep spirituality.
Now as we shift from building engineering to a theological focus, it might be instructive for us to gain some common ground on the meaning of deep spirituality. It is significant to note the church’s use of “spirituality” versus “religion”. There has been an increase in the verbage of “spirituality” in Progressive Christian denominations, like our United Church over the past while. Deep spirituality is rooted in the life, death and resurrection of Christ, while also being open to emerging wisdom of the Spirit. It is nurtured through a variety of practices such as prayer, worship, scripture study, sacraments, contemplation, song, silence, and service. These practices are, of course, not ends in themselves but help us form as individuals and individuals who are attentive to God’s presence and call. While we will be focusing in the coming weeks on the other two components: bold discipleship and daring justice, deep spirituality cannot be viewed separately. For, as we will learn, they all fuel one another. Yet, deep spirituality is the ‘fuel’ / the energy (if you will) that energizes our outward work into the world. So, if we want our church to reach for the heavens, then we must each (as members of the body of Christ), be ones who increasingly work on nurturing a deep spirituality.
There are MANY texts that might inform our pursuit of a “deep spirituality”. You might think of the many, many times that Jesus himself sought peaceful times alone to pray. The three texts that formed the United Church’s rationale for “deep spirituality” are the ones used in this morning’s service. We began in the Call to Worship with the 42nd Psalm. It sings of an inner thirst we have for God; a longing we have for God’s presence…when we are troubled, when our heart is breaking, in all the ‘thirsts’ our soul has for God. As the thirsty deer seeks fresh water, we thirst for the waters of life that flow from God. This Psalm reminds us that we do not live by food and water, but we also crave the spirit food of God. As French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin noted: "we are spiritual beings having a human experience" So, we naturally yearn with a spiritual thirst.
Pat offered the two additional passages from the New Testament. Paul’s prayer to the community in Ephesus centres around that key phrase: “that you may be rooted and grounded in love”. “Rooted” comes from a Greek word with an agricultural origin. It is a word that reminds us that our stability, our nourishment, our life…ALL come from the deep roots that we have established. And “Grounded” comes from a Greek word related to architecture. It reminds that the stability, strength and permanence of a building are all anchored to its foundation. And “love”, in this case the Greek “agape” form of love: the divine, self-giving love of God revealed in Christ. Rooted and grounded in love is about intentionally planting our lives in Christ; building them upon Christ; relying upon Christ’s power and nourishment for the vital expression of our faith. So, Paul is offering a double-metaphor here. A metaphor based on botany and one based on architecture to reinforce the life-giving stability we have through a life centred in Christ.
The third reading comes from John’s gospel. God as the vine grower; Jesus as the vine; and you as the branches. And that wonderful image of every branch that bears fruit being pruned in order for it to bear more fruit. Fruit production changes over time, doesn’t it? Your spiritual fruits have been the visible expressions of your life in Christ. Your spiritual fruits have been your love; your faithfulness; your service; your mission. And similar to the Ephesians reading, it all stems back to how we are “rooted and grounded in Christ”. In this case, the way we are the branches, connected to Jesus who is the vine, all connected to God who is the vine grower.
So, we have established the importance of a “deep spirituality”. We can’t being to do the work of “Bold discipleship” or “daring justice” without being “rooted and grounded in Christ”…without being ensuring that our branches are connected to the true vine. The question we might be asking is how do I deepen my spirituality? The key to the answer, I think, lies in our United Church’s wise use of the term ‘spiritual’, rather than ‘religious’. What ‘spiritual’ suggests, to me, is that there is no ONE answer. There is only YOUR answer. If we want a “deep spirituality”, it necessitates a personal approach towards that end goal. You may find that Bible study, or prayer, or meditation deepen your spirituality at certain times in your life. You may find that, at others, worship, singing, choir and other expressions serve that focus. And still at others, it might be outreach, service, witness, letter-writing, protests might further deepen your spirituality. I think the important question to be asking ourselves is ‘what is deepening my spirituality right now?’
As I was writing this, I looked back and I felt that it lacked some concrete guidance. So, I consulted with someone who might not immediately come to mind. I have shared that part of my commitment to overall wellness includes physical fitness. So, I got to speaking with one of my coaches and shared what our topic was. Interestingly, much of his work with his fitness clients had some similar considerations. We talked about clarity in goals, a sustainable plan, tracking progress and accountability. The goal we already have is working towards a “deep spirituality”. A sustainable plan needs to be built around something that feeds your spirit. If quiet meditation doesn’t ‘fit’ for you, that’s OK. Find what does. Create a consistent schedule and stick to it. Tracking progress is important in spiritual growth. The same thing will not continue to feed your spirituality through all the seasons of your life. The beauty of the church is that we have ‘seasons’…a great reminder to check in and see how you are growing in Christ. And finally, accountability is also important. We do things in community for ‘when 2 or 3 are gathered Christ is there in our midst’. In community we are strengthened; we are not alone. Covid was VERY hard for spiritual growth because we were so isolated. Together, we are accountable to another, we support one another, we are in Christ’s presence.
A deep spirituality allows the body of Christ to be empowered and reach towards the heavens as the church. When we are “rooted and grounded in Christ”. When we are the branches of Christ’s vine. When we drink from the waters of the Spirit of life, we are empowered to do the bold work of Christ; to be the daring church; to reach towards the heavens as the living presence of Christ’s love. And it all begins with our “deep spirituality”. May it be so.
Amen.